The present invention relates to a new and improved construction of a package support device, also sometimes referred to as a package support or carrier, for the intermediate storage of wound-up products, typically printed products, and especially although not exclusively newspapers, inserts, periodicals, magazines and the like.
Generally speaking, the package support device for the intermediate storage of wound-up printed products, particularly, for example, newspapers, inserts, periodicals, magazines and the like, as contemplated by the present development, is of the type comprising a winding core member possessing a substantially cylindrical support or bearing surface for the wound-up printed products or the like. Upon the winding core member there is wound a winding band or tape, also sometimes referred to in the art as a winding strap, which is connected at one end thereof with the winding core member. This winding band or tape is accommodated in a substantially ring-shaped or annular groove-like recess or depression which extends in the circumferantial direction of the winding core member and which is open in the direction of the product support or bearing surface.
A winding unit or device is known to the art from Swiss Pat. No. 652,379 and the cognate U.S. Pat. No. 4,532,750, granted Aug. 6, 1985 and the British Published patent application No. 2,106,872, published Apr. 20, 1983. Such winding unit or device comprises a hollow cylindrical winding body upon which the printed products are wound up in an imbricated or shingled formation. Within the winding body there is arranged a supply spool for the winding band or tape. This winding body is supported by rib members upon a continuous shaft which protrudes past the winding body. The supply spool for the winding band or tape is rotatably mounted upon the shaft. Co-rotating with the supply spool is a drive wheel or gear which, likewise, is mounted upon the shaft and can be brought into contact with a pivotably mounted friction wheel in order to rotate the band supply spool. At the winding body there is provided a slot through which there can pass the winding band or tape arranged internally of the winding body.
The winding band or tape is always transported and stored in conjunction with the winding body. Prior to winding-up printed products, the required winding band or tape length is paid-off the supply spool and wound-up upon a band or tape spool arranged externally of the winding body for achieving an intermediate storage of such paid-off winding band length. During winding-up of the printed products, the winding band or tape is withdrawn from the band or tape spool and wound-up in conjunction with the printed products onto the winding body. The length of winding band which is not required to be used remains wound-up upon the supply spool.
The construction of this heretofore known winding unit or device is considered to be rather complicated which, in turn, renders more expensive its fabrication. This is particularly of significance when considering the fact that in a printing plant a large number of such winding units or devices are required. Additionally, such construction of winding unit or device requires a great deal of space in the direction of the shaft since such shaft, of course, laterally protrudes beyond the winding body. Moreover, for the unwinding of the winding band or tape from the supply spool there is needed a separate drive which must be provided in addition to the drive provided for the winding body.
In the pre-published European Published patent application No. 0,236,561, first published on Sept. 6, 1987, and the commonly assigned cognate U.S. application Ser. No. 07/005,698, filed Jan. 22, 1987, of Werner Honegger, and entitled "Method of, and Apparatus for, Interim Storing of Printed Products, Typically Newspapers, Periodicals and the Like, Arriving in an Imbricated Product Formation", there is disclosed a package support device of the previously mentioned type which is simpler in construction and easier to handle than the previously discussed winding unit or device. With this construction of package support device, the outwardly open ring-shaped or annular groove, within which there is accommodated or housed the winding band or tape, is laterally offset. In this way, there is achieved the result that during winding-up of the printed products the winding band or tape which is wound-up between the individual printed product convolutions or coils does not come to lie above the ring-shaped or annular groove. This beneficially avoids pressing of the printed products into the ring-shaped or annular groove.
However, this proposal is afflicted with the shortcoming that the winding-off of the winding band or tape from the winding core member is not accomplished in the same plane as the subsequent winding-up of the winding band or appropriate guiding of the winding band or tape is required during the time that it is wound-off of the winding core member and it is wound on to a winding band spool provided at the wind-up station.